In 1984 James met Jan and knew that she was the one when she did not miss a single horse show while they dated. They married in 1986; James was working as a full time vet assistant and Jan as an assistant cafeteria manager for Fulton County Schools, they both worked horses in the evenings and showed horses on the weekends. Together James & Jan have had two children Kala & Kenneth, which has always been involved in the horses and barn. Kala is now the assistant trainer for Etowah Stables and is continually helping her father make the horses they train, the best they can be.
Starting young horses, maintaining a good mind and mouth is very important to James, so that each horse can reach the maximum potential in the show ring. This philosophy has been exemplified time and time in again with James starting yearlings and showing his two-year olds to great ribbons at the Kentucky State Fair each year.

Kala was born into the horse business in 1988. She was on her first horse and in lead line at 15 months old and began showing on her own under saddle when she was just 5. She has always had a special love for her horses and trying to help them. Kala started working with her father when she was just little. She has now been a full time employee and the assistant trainer for Etowah Stables for over 10 years.
Kala has trained horses here in America but she has also lived and trained horses in Europe. She was selected to train horses for a gentleman in Germany to get his horses ready to come back and compete in the American shows on the Kentucky circuit. Realizing how far away from home she was and not enjoying the culture shock, she decided to come back and work for her father where they are making a tremendous name for themselves in the Saddlebred industry.

Kala is also the riding instructor here at Etowah Stables and you can read more about her and her riding program under the Riding Lessons tab on our website.